the unfair child tax credit system

Penny-Pincher!!

Is your household entitled to working tax credits?

Are you thinking of going to work? Maybe you could get a few hours work in the evening when your husband is around to make up the £300 loss? Have you had a carers assessment to maybe enable you to go to college yourself to learn something new for a higher chance of employment, or a refresher course to boost your confidence back in the work place?

PP
x

FBaby

We are not exactly in that bracket, not yet, and I hope never to be, but we are not comfortable either.

I really fail to see how you can consider yourself close to poverty with one member earning a full-time income, you claiming CA, your son claiming ESA and DLA. What's your net income?

If you have been spending child tax credits on everyday costs for the full family, then what have youbeen spending your husband's salary on?

nannytone_2

FBaby wrote: »

I really fail to see how you can consider yourself close to poverty with one member earning a full-time income, you claiming CA, your son claiming ESA and DLA. What's your net income?

If you have been spending child tax credits on everyday costs for the full family, then what have youbeen spending your husband's salary on?

be fair.
i don't think anyone spends child benefit/child tax credits soley on the child.
when you live as a family, you spend for the family!
the OP has to come to terms with the fact that her son is now an adult and receives his own benefits.
whether she gets him to contribute to the same degree is a matter for her family and not the benefits system

fellwalker09

Duchy -thank you for your helpful message. I made a mistake in posting here - have attracted some hurtful, scathing comments but then I've seen similar around in the forum so I ought to have known better. But I appreciate your detailed response and you're right. I think I went into a slight panic but settling down and feeling positive. I have avenues to explore for work and it's not bad -hopefully my son will be fine with a little more additional support in place. Thanks again.

Shiloe

fellwalker09 wrote: »

Now, my son will get the esa, if he can, but this is his claim and his money. That's good. I can't ask him for that, it's not right. The issue is that I now need to make this up.

But you could rightfully ask him for dig money which is a completely normal thing for parents with adult children still living with them to do. Yes okay asking him for £300 is maybe a bit much considering all the circumstances however paying your way in itself is gaining independence - which is something he is obviously keen to have (to the extent that he can).

Blackpool_Saver

Out of his DLA/ESA it is not unreasonable to expect him to contribute fully to his keep.

Colin_Hunt

FBaby wrote: »

I really fail to see how you can consider yourself close to poverty with one member earning a full-time income, you claiming CA, your son claiming ESA and DLA. What's your net income?

If you have been spending child tax credits on everyday costs for the full family, then what have youbeen spending your husband's salary on?

Its nothing to do with "poverty" its a straightforward loss of income.
No one likes their income going down.

FBaby

i don't think anyone spends child benefit/child tax credits soley on the child.
when you live as a family, you spend for the family!

But most people do keep in mind that this is what it was intended to and therefore budget much earlier the loss of it. OP didn't and just saw it as extra income for the whole family. I had to deal with a similar loss of income once in my life and I didn't blame the government. It isn't nice and you have to cut down where you don't want to, but it certainly isn't unfair.

sheeps68

Hi Fellwalker,
The benefits systems is a nightmare and I think you have simply been hit by some of the many variations in it. It's not that its wrong in what you get but you've fell into the complications where it works in totally different ways in similar circumstances. When is a child/ young person an adult? It does seem silly that at 18 they are a child if at college but not studying at Uni. When actually they do not change age.

As an encouragement I think you will find the amount of money coming into your family unit I think you will find will in actual fact go up, however who it is actually paid to will change. ESA in the assessment phase is £72.40 and goes up after that. I would really encourage you to get your son to contribute to the household out of his ESA. I am not actually saying this in terms of household finances but to help him learn about living costs and things like that. He will need to learn this at some point that the money you get you need to budget for rent / bills food etc. It will be easier for him to learn the skills with you on hand to support him from the beginning than a nasty shock later on.

Good luck to you all in this time of change for you all. You'll find it hard to accept he is now considered adult as he has always been your boy. But you will get through it and come out stronger I am sure but the change is hard.

fellwalker09

Thanks everyone. Really appreciate the positive comments/advice.
Sheeps 68 - thanks for your post. The benefits system can almost feel like a trap in a sense but then families and individuals are so fortunate to have had the chance of tax credits -they were'nt always there. (something I do recognise). Unfair is certainly a more personal opinion - it is as you say, a nightmare; difficult for some to navigate and very variable. I'm okay about this now. Having had an initial panic, I have attracted some negative comments, clearly the way my own words have been perceived - just goes to show that on social sites we perhaps need to be exact/specific. You are right about my son claiming esa -I've told him he can get this (actually, his social worker told him about this before but as he was going to college he wasn't eligible, hence why I didn't think he was eligible now).
I'll probably get shot in the foot once more but the only point I was making is that I find it an odd distinction to award tax credit for a 19 year old college student, whereas an 18 year old beginning a degree is not eligible. To me, it's the age of the young person that counts, not what they are studying. Is the 19 year old college student still a child? No, they are definitely an adult, allowed to drink/smoke/frequent pubs etc & vote. But I digress -these are the rules of the DWP. So please everyone forgive me if I have sounded ignorant etc, but perhaps you can see my point? It is the age that is significant. There is no relevant distinction to be made from college courses to uni courses. The college student is still an adult, working on his future. As for me, it no longer matters. And that's all I wish to say.
Thanks again Sheeps and everyone for the positive posts.